suomi 100
making an escape room in finland
I was tasked with leading a project to celebrate 100 years of Finnish Independence and attract students to Kalajoen lukio (a high school in northern Finland).
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History feels more relevant and engaging when we experience it in an interactive way. Kalajoen lukio was a school known for teaching from textbooks - it was time to change that.
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How?
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By designing and building a fully functioning escape room from scratch,
in a single month.
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making the idea a reality
Step 1
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Secure funding from the local council.
Step 2
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Design the room. I decided to split it into six sections according to key parts of Finnish history: the formation of Helsinki, the right to vote, Tsar Alexander II's reign, the Finnish Civil War, the presidency of Urho Kekkonen, and joining the EU.
Step 3
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Build the walls for each section.
Step 4
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Craft, craft, craft.
Step 5
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Advertise the room in the run-up to its launch across various social media channels.
Step 6
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Open up Suomi 100 to the general public.
Step 7
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Get fully booked with 70 groups and enjoy rave reviews.
Step 8
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Win an award for Rieska Leader's top youth project of the year.